After hanging up her pointe shoes in 2007, Alessandra Ferri has announced her return to the stage. At 49 she has decided to début in a new work, The Piano Upstairs, at the Spoleto Festival on 28 June.
When asked by Il Corriere della Sera if she missed the applause, she replied that yes, the applause to reward so much preparation was wonderful, but her return was down to other reasons. A new level of maturity as an artist and also on a personal level, combined with the realisation, in ‘retirement', that she has been given a great gift, made her want to share it again with the public. This time, though, away from the familiar repertory characters, and looking ahead toward new creations.
The parallels with her colleague Sylvie Guillem are obvious, but Ferri identifies more with Mikhail Baryshnikov.
I often go to his Arts Center here in New York where I live, Misha is fantastic. Initially I was surprised at his decision to continue with his career. I remember, when he was still 38, that while we were rehearsing Giselle he said, “We mustn't grow old on the stage.” I'm glad he changed his mind.
When asked if she would consider taking the helm at La Scala, she replied,
I don't exclude anything in my future, but I don't want to plan out my life. For now, after The Piano Upstairs, they are waiting for me for another creation in New York.
Photo by Fabrizio Ferri
Graham Spicer is a writer, director and photographer in Milan, blogging (under the name ‘Gramilano') about dance, opera, music and photography for people “who are a bit like me and like some of the things I like”. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy.
His scribblings have appeared in various publications from Woman's Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the ‘Danza in Italia' column for Dancing Times magazine.
